Medical Students at Penn State College of Medicine
At Penn State, we have redesigned medical student education in ophthalmology to ensure that all physicians - regardless of whether they pursue a life in ophthalmology - master the ophthalmic fundamentals. The cornerstone of this transformation is our one-day, required ophthalmology experience for third-year medical students, recently highlighted in the journal Ophthalmology.
In addition to this one-day experience and our ophthalmology clinical and research electives, we have integrated educational activities throughout all four years of medical school. Our student-led ophthalmology interest group provides Penn State College of Medicine medical students the opportunity to gain valuable exposure to the field of ophthalmology in their early years of training.
Resident Physicians
Penn State Hershey Eye Center offers outstanding educational experiences for its residents. Our residency program is expanding to include three residents in each year of training. This expansion enhances the academic environment within the department and improves our ability to attract the best resident candidates. In an effort to improve the quality of our residency training program, we have developed an ophthalmic surgery simulation program, as well as an improved surgical skills evaluation process, to ensure our residents are well-prepared to care for patients.
"Education is a top priority in our department. Our faculty combine teaching with a thriving clinical practice, so we encounter a broad variety of patient problems. The high level of teamwork among residents and faculty definitely enhances our experience"
Matthew Hosler, M.D., Ph.D.
Alumni Resident
Faculty
Faculty of the Penn State Hershey Eye Center not only shape the educational experiences of medical students and residents; they are afforded numerous opportunities to expand their own knowledge through attendance at Grand Rounds, Frontiers in Eye & Vision Research lectures, Ethical and Quality Assurance discussion sessions, and participation in national and international meetings with colleagues practicing in their subspecialities.
Technical & Support Staff
The Penn State Hershey Eye Center provides opportunities for all levels of staff to improve their knowledge base and enhance their job satisfaction.
The 8th annual Educational Update for Ophthalmic Medical Personnel will be held in January 2010. This is a full day program designed to provide continuing education opportunities at the intermediate level for Ophthalmic Medical Personnel (including Assistants, Technicians, Technologists, and Orthoptists) throughout a tri-state area. We always apply for Category A JCAHPO continuing education credits and participants earned 7 of these credits for attending the 2009 program.
Our Ophthalmic photographers hosted the inaugural Mid-Atlantic Ophthalmic Imaging Update in the Spring of 2009. This was a one-day educational seminar for Ophthalmic Imaging Professionals, approved for 7 OPS 1:1 continuing education credits and 7 Group A JCAHPO credits. It was very well received and we plan to host the 2nd annual update in the Spring of 2010.
